Razorbacks Among Several Finalists For Nation's Top Small Forward in 2027 Class

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The Arkansas Razorbacks continue to recruit at an elite mark under coach John Calipari as he received news that elite Eagles Landing Christian Academy forward AJ Williams put the Hogs in his top 10 schools on Monday.

The 6-foot-7, 220-pound prospect is currently the No. 5 overall prospect in the nation for the 2027 recruiting cycle and trimmed his list to Arkansas, Auburn, BYU, Duke, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi State and North Carolina.

Williams is the No. 2 small forward in his class and No. 1 player in Georgia, according to 247Sports recruiting rankings following his reclassification from the 2028 class.

NEWS: 5⭐️ AJ Williams is down to 10 schools, he tells @Rivals.

The 6-7 senior is a top-five overall prospect in the 2027 class.https://t.co/MbOcnUC9LT pic.twitter.com/o8owyxXMHU
— Joe Tipton (@JoeTipton) September 14, 2026

As a sophomore this past season for Eagles Landing, Williams averaged 32 points and 13 rebounds per game. He then proceeded to have an electric campaign on the Nike EYBL circuit this summer by scoring 21 points, eight rebounds, and nearly two assists per game for Team CP3.

He shot an efficient 43.2% from the floor and made 34% of his attempts from beyond the arc this summer.

Arkansas officially offered the Peach State native in July, but have been involved in his recruitment for a while now. While he hasn't taken an unofficial visit with the Razorbacks at this point, the rising senior has visited the campuses of Auburn, Duke and Georgia Tech and is currently finalizing official visit dates, according to On3's Joe Tipton.

Scouting Report

Williams is one of those type of athletes who can thrive in a positionless system like Calipari's that allows players to thrive in ISO, one-on-one situations and prepares them for the NBA. A dynamic scorer, he can generate offense at all three levels of the halfcourt.

He's long, athletic and confident in his shot selection, which makes him hard to guard because of his willingness to pull up from anywhere on the floor. A key part to his game is how repetitious his midrange jumper appears to be, as he remains squared toward the basket even when defenders attempt to knock him off balance.

His position versatility allows him to line up at all five positions and his frame (already 225 pounds) has enough room to add even more mass. The Georgia native certainly has what it takes on the offensive end to become a mismatch for opposing defenses.

Defensively, he is an eraser using his verticality to rise up and block shots at the apex. Even if he's off by a step, Williams length can cause disruption near the bucket. He understands shot angles off the glass on either end of the court and isn't afraid to follow shots coming off the back of the rim for long rebounds.

The domination Williams displays at the Georgia high school level easily translates to the competitive nature of the EYBL.

It's tough to forecast exactly what the next roster at Arkansas will look like, but having guys like point guard Davion Thompson and center Caleb Ourigou return for the sophomore season would make for an impressive three-man lineup already.

Other notable 2027 prospects Arkansas is actively recruiting are No. 1 overall prospect Beckham Black, No. 2 CJ Rosser, No. 3 Cayden Daughtry, No. 4 Demarcus Henry, No. 7 Lewis Uvwo and No. 18 Paul Osaruyi.

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